Spring 2011

The best protection for citizen and soldier

TenCate constantly works on developing new, and improving existing, materials for the protection of people (TenCate Protective Fabrics), material (TenCate Advanced Armour) and the environment (TenCate Geosynthetics). In the last case, it is a matter of restoring the infrastructure after hostilities.

The armour materials, which offer weight reduction and better functional characteristics, replace traditional materials such as steel and aluminium. The specifications for these materials are mostly drawn up by government authorities or agencies.

'The brand name TenCate must be more closely coupled with products for the defence and protection of people and vehicles', says former commander of the Dutch armed forces Dick Berlijn, member of the International Advisory Board of TenCate.

In as far as there ever has been a division between the tasks and responsibilities of the army and civil aid and protection organizations, such a distinction has existed since 2005 at most. Since that year Defence in the Netherlands has increasingly joined together with civil agencies in combating the consequences of disasters and controlling crisis situations. The demands that Defence and organisations make on materials and equipment will increasingly converge. ‘I see a shared vision', says Dick Berlijn. 'If we ask young people to do dangerous things, we as a society have a duty to ensure that they can carry them out optimally and under the safest conditions – that they are well trained, understand the safety instructions, and have the best gear for protection purposes. Civilian or Defence, it’s the same. It’s a highly competitive environment. TenCate will have to see where they can make the difference and how they can make that clear.’